The Great Exmoor Ride is a new event in Somerset from the team behind the hugely-popular Great Weston Ride, and it will run on very similar lines.

The Ride starts in Taunton and follows a spectacular, challenging course that takes riders through quiet Somerset lanes and up onto and across the eastern part of Exmoor, before finally finishing by the sea at the very peaceful and unspoilt Blue Anchor near Minehead.

It's not a race, and participants are welcome to come along and sample the delights of a wonderful part of the Somerset countryside at their own pace en route to the coast - the objective again being to enjoy the day and the huge sense of achievement that completing the Ride will bring! The route itself is more challenging than the GWR with more climbing overall but the aim is still to be accessible to anyone who is willing to rise to a challenge - so that includes experienced cyclists, recreational riders, commuters, and even non-cyclists with a degree of fitness and/or a lot of determination! And, of course, with the Ride ending by the sea it's a great opportunity for friends and family to meet the riders at the finish line, celebrate their achievement and then enjoy a late Summer family day out by the sea. The Ride takes place almost entirely on quiet country roads, with a clearly-marked and marshalled route and full mechanical and medical support throughout.

There is an official refreshment stop en route, and of course on Exmoor there are plenty of other opportunities to stop and sample some West Country hospitality and/or take in the breathtaking scenery! And riders are actively encouraged to use their efforts to fundraise for charity - it's entirely optional, but the challenging nature of the event lends itself to fundraising and we hope via the GER to add to the amazing £275,000 that has been raised to date for a range of different charities by sister-event the GWR.

We know from the very positive feedback from our 2017 test event that the GER is going to be another great destination challenge ride and another great day out by bike, and therefore well worth a try - just be aware that once again there will be a limited field size so please enter early to avoid possible disappointment!

Info for Riders

The Great Exmoor Ride is a new event from the team behind the hugely-popular Great Weston Ride.

It starts in Taunton and follows a spectacular, challenging course that takes riders through quiet Somerset lanes and up onto and across the eastern part of Exmoor, before finally finishing by the sea at the very peaceful and unspoilt Blue Anchor near Minehead. It’s a spectacular route and the Ride is suitable for a wide range of riders, particularly anyone with a bit of determination who's looking for an event that's both challenging AND relaxed – it includes over 1600m of climbing in total so it will test most people but, as with the GWR, the GER is all about having fun while rising to your own personal challenge and doing it at your own pace. And, as the riders in our 2017 test event demonstrated, you're likely to feel a HUGE sense of achievement at the finish!